The Munich Security Conference; FDA Rejects Flu Vaccine; The Fall of The Quad God

Summary

Up First from NPR – Episode Summary

Episode: The Munich Security Conference; FDA Rejects Flu Vaccine; The Fall of The Quad God
Air Date: February 14, 2026
Hosts: Scott Simon & Ayesha Rascoe

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Overview

This episode of Up First delivers concise coverage of the three major stories of the day: the United States' message to Europe at the Munich Security Conference, the FDA's rejection of Moderna's new mRNA flu vaccine, and the surprising defeat of U.S. Olympic figure skater Ilya Malinin, the so-called "Quad God", at the Winter Games. The episode breaks down the political, scientific, and emotional dimensions behind each headline, giving listeners global perspectives, insider analysis, and on-the-ground reporting.

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1. U.S.–Europe Relations at the Munich Security Conference

Segment begins: 02:33

Key Discussion Points

• Secretary of State Marco Rubio's Speech:
  Rubio addressed the Munich Security Conference, signaling a major shift in world affairs:

  "The world is changing very fast right in front of us. The old world is gone, frankly, the world I grew up in." (00:49, Marco Rubio)
  Rubio highlighted recent U.S. and European mistakes, specifically referencing:

  • Over-prioritizing environmentalism ("the climate cult")
  • Becoming too reliant on supply chains tied to rivals like China
  • Concerns about Christian values and migration, but with a softer tone than his predecessor, VP JD Vance

• Message of Unity with Europe:
  Rubio assured that, despite upheaval,

  "…the end of the transatlantic era… is neither our goal nor our wish, because for us Americans, our home may be in the Western Hemisphere, but we will always be a child of Europe." (03:30, Marco Rubio)

• Reception in Munich:
  NPR’s Michelle Kellermann reported a positive reaction:

  "…there was a sigh of relief in the room, and he [conference host] said he saw the speech as a message of reassurance." (03:58, Michelle Kellermann)
  Contrasted with last year's controversial speech by Vice President Vance, Rubio’s approach was seen as a re-commitment to the alliance.

• Divergence Among Leaders:

  • California Gov. Gavin Newsom: Criticized last year’s bar as "so low."
  • German Chancellor Friedrich Merz: Stated the U.S. can't act alone and called for continued unity.
  • French President Emmanuel Macron: Insisted Europe must "stand up to Russia’s aggression in Ukraine."

• Democratic Perspectives:

  • Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez: Condemned the Trump administration for "ripping up democratic norms" and ushering an "age of authoritarians":

    "Where Donald Trump can command the Western Hemisphere and Latin America as his personal sandbox, where Putin can saber rattle around Europe…" (05:00, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez)
    She advocated for a different, more democratic way forward.

• Ukraine War:
  Rubio remained non-committal on Russia's sincerity in ending the war, focusing instead on the need to support Ukraine and continue diplomatic efforts.

Memorable Moments:

• The overall relief among European allies.
• The tension between U.S. and European visions for the world order.

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2. FDA Rejects Moderna’s mRNA Flu Vaccine

Segment begins: 06:10

Key Discussion Points

• The FDA’s Surprising Move:
  Moderna's new flu shot (using the same mRNA technology as their COVID vaccine) was rejected by the FDA—specifically, the agency refused to even review the application.

  • The main issue: Moderna's trial compared their vaccine to a standard dose, rather than the "high-potency" shot that is recommended for those 65+.

• Why mRNA Matters:

  "That's important because you need to scale up vaccine manufacturing quite a clip to be able to make the number of doses…” (06:57, Dr. Helen Chu)
  mRNA vaccines can be made more quickly than traditional flu shots, which take 6 months using chicken eggs and risk being outdated by rapid mutations.

• Regulatory Inconsistency & Politics:

  • Unusual timing: FDA withdrew approval late in the process after previously agreeing to the study design.
  • Political backdrop: The Trump administration had been hostile to mRNA vaccines—recently cutting $500 million in funding and installing a new vaccine advisory committee that deprioritized mRNA research.

  "It's unusual to hear from the FDA that a study isn't acceptable so late in the process…” (08:00, Dr. Helen Chu)
  "Companies simply cannot afford to conduct clinical trials. And then when they try to submit them to the regulator, have the regulator say, well, changed our mind..." (09:19, Dr. Lindsey McNair)

• Industry Reaction and Global Impact:

  • Moderna: Expressed frustration with regulatory flip-flop, citing over $1 billion spent on research.
  • Broader consequences: Such unpredictability could drive vaccine innovation and manufacturing out of the U.S.

Memorable Moments:

• Moderna's assertion that the FDA abruptly changed its stance.
• The concern that regulatory inconsistency in the U.S. could now be the biggest risk for pharmaceutical R&D.

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3. The Fall of "Quad God" Ilya Malinin at the Winter Olympics

Segment begins: 10:41

Key Discussion Points

• Ilya Malinin’s Build-Up and Fall:

  • At 21, he was the undefeated favorite in men's singles figure skating since 2023.
  • Entered the rink as the "grand finale," with all eyes on whether he’d land the historic quad axel.

• Performance Breakdown:

  "Malinin's second planned jump out of seven was the quad axel. But he downgraded it in mid air to just a single axel and it got harder to watch from there... He bailed on a couple other jumps and fully fell twice." (11:53, Rachel Treisman)

  • Only highlight: An impressive backflip (non-scoring, crowd-pleasing).

• Emotional Response:

  • The atmosphere swung from electric anticipation to collective heartbreak as fans’ hopes faded.

  "It just totally felt like the wind had been knocked out of everyone." (12:17, Rachel Treisman)

  • Malinin blamed overwhelming pressure for his collapse:

    "...he did blame the pressure he’d been under as the heavy favorite. And he said a lot of negative thoughts came from flooding in as soon as he hit his starting pose." (12:53)

• Unexpected Medalists:

  • Japan’s Yuma Kageyama (silver) and Shun Sato (bronze) climbed the podium.
  • Surprise gold went to Mikhail Shaidorov of Kazakhstan—originally not expected to medal but delivered a flawless skate as others faltered.

• Aftermath:

  • This was Malinin’s last shot at an individual medal; he still leaves with team gold from the prior weekend.
  • The figure skating world was left stunned and moved by the drama on the ice.

Memorable Moments:

• The collective gasp and support from the crowd as Malinin struggled.
• Shaidorov’s "hands on his face" disbelief as he realized he had won gold.

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Notable Quotes by Timestamp

• "The world is changing very fast right in front of us. The old world is gone, frankly, the world I grew up in."
  – Marco Rubio (00:49)

• "For us Americans, our home may be in the Western Hemisphere, but we will always be a child of Europe."
  – Marco Rubio (03:30)

• "Where Donald Trump can command the Western Hemisphere and Latin America as his personal sandbox, where Putin can saber rattle around Europe..."
  – Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (05:00)

• "It's unusual to hear from the FDA that a study isn't acceptable so late in the process..."
  – Dr. Helen Chu (08:00)

• "Companies simply cannot afford to conduct clinical trials. And then when they try to submit them to the regulator, have the regulator say, well, changed our mind..."
  – Dr. Lindsey McNair (09:19)

• "Malinin's second planned jump...was the quad axel. But he downgraded it to just a single axel and it got harder to watch from there..."
  – Rachel Treisman (11:53)

• "It just totally felt like the wind had been knocked out of everyone."
  – Rachel Treisman (12:17)

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• Munich Security Conference: 02:33 – 06:01
• FDA Rejects Moderna’s Flu Vaccine: 06:10 – 10:26
• Fall of 'Quad God' Ilya Malinin: 10:41 – 14:42

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Conclusion

This episode of Up First deftly weaves together rapidly evolving geopolitics, the future of public health innovation, and raw Olympic heartbreak. Through on-the-ground journalism and expert analysis, NPR offers listeners timely, nuanced understanding of the world’s headlines—with special attention to the power shifts and personal stories that shape our times.

Transcript

[A]

And happy Valentine's Day.

[B]

SCOTT Happy Valentine's Day to you. Aisha. I was a very busy man getting everything ready for two daughters and my wife.

[A]

I did it on Wednesday, so all the kids. So I got everybody flowers, so and told them they were loved because I want them to know they don't have to wait on some romantic love right like that. They can, they can be celebrated.

[B]

God bless you. Oh Secretary of State Marco Rubio spoke at the Munich Security conference today and outlined the US Europe relationship.

[A]

We'll tell you how that speech was received.

[B]

I'm Scott Simon.

[A]

And I'm Ayesha Rascoe. And this is up first from NPR News.

[B]

On his way to Munich, Secretary Rubio said the old world order is no more.

[C]

The world is changing very fast right in front of us. The old world is gone, frankly, the world I grew up in. And we live in a new era in geopolitics. And it's going to require all of us to sort of re examine what that looks like and what our role is going to be.

[A]

But what does that mean for transatlantic unity?

[B]

And the FDA has rejected a new flu shot. We'll look at how that could change.

[A]

Clinical trials plus the quad God has fallen. We'll have more on Ilya Malinin's heartbreak.

[B]

So please stay with us. We've got the news you need to start your weekend.

[D]

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[B]

Secretary of State Marco Rubio told European allies at the Munich security Conference today that it's time for a period of renewal as the old world order is ending.

[A]

His speech at times highlighted unity and it was different in tone From Vice President J.D. vance's speech at the conference last year, which focused on free speech and migration.

[B]

NPR's Michelle Kellermann was in Munich for the speech. Michelle, thanks for being with us.

[F]

Nice to be here, Scott.

[B]

What was Secretary Rubio's main message today?

[F]

Well, he said that the U.S. and Europe made a lot of mistakes in recent years, focusing on what he called the climate cult and also allowing supply chains to become too dependent on rivals like China. He also spent a lot of time talking about Christian values and, and fears of civilizational erasure because of mass migration. Those were, you know, a big focus of Vance's speech last year. But Rubio couched it a bit differently. Take a listen.

[C]

So in a time of headlines heralding the end of the transatlantic era, let it be known and clear to all that this is neither our goal nor our wish, because for us Americans, our home may be in the Western Hemisphere, but we will always be a child of Europe.

[B]

On your applause there, Michelle, how did the speech go over?

[F]

Yeah, I mean, the host of the conference, Wolfgang Ischinger, said there was a sigh of relief in the room, and he said he saw the speech as a message of reassurance. But, you know, I heard California Governor Gavin Newsom telling a group of reporters yesterday that Vice President Vance set the bar so low with last year's speech. And Germany's Chancellor Friedrich Merz, who met Rubio yesterday, also talked about the world order as we know it is in the past. But he told the US that the US Isn't strong enough to go it alone. French President Emmanuel Macron, who's also here, told the gathering that Europe needs to become a geopolitical leader and needs to really stand up to Russia's aggression in Ukraine.

[B]

You mentioned Governor Newsom. There are other Democrats there as well, aren't there?

[F]

Yeah. New York Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio Cortez made her debut here, and she's blaming the Trump administration of ripping up democratic norms and turning the world into what she calls an age of authoritarians who are carving up the world, where Donald Trump.

[G]

Can command the Western Hemisphere and Latin America as his personal sandbox, where Putin can saber rattle around Europe and for essentially authoritarians to have their own geographic domains.

[F]

And she says she was here with other Democrats offering a different way forward.

[B]

Russia's war in Ukraine is obviously a big concern for Europe. What did Secretary Rubio say about that?

[F]

Yeah, I mean, Europeans are really alarmed by Russia's continued strikes on Ukraine's energy grid during this cold spell. They say Russia is trying to play for time trying to win territory in talks with Trump's envoys that it hasn't been able to capture on the battlefield. Rubio would only say that he's not really sure if the Russians are serious about ending the war and whether there are any terms that can be negotiated that are acceptable to Ukraine. But he said the US Is going to continue to try, and that's been the goal.

[B]

And here's Michel Kellerman from Munich. Thanks so much.

[F]

Thank you.

[A]

The Food and Drug Administration this week dealt a surprising setback to Moderna, one of the main biotech companies that created an MRNA vaccine against COVID 19.

[B]

The agency rejected Moderna's new flu shot, which was aimed at adults aged 50 and older.

[A]

We're joined now by NPR's Sydney Lupkin, who has been following this story. Good morning, Sidney.

[F]

Hi.

[A]

Can you walk us through what happened with the Moderna shot?

[H]

Yeah. So this was a first of its kind flu shot that uses the MRNA technology, just like the COVID shots from Moderna and Pfizer BioNTech. Dr. Helen Chu, a professor of medicine and epidemiology at the University of Washington, says the MRNA technology is the reason those companies were able to respond to the COVID pandemic so quickly.

[E]

And that's important because you need to scale up vaccine manufacturing quite a clip to be able to make the number of doses that you need to be able to respond to a pandemic.

[H]

So Moderna wants to use that technology again to tackle the flu. The traditional flu shot takes around six months to manufacture because it has to be grown in chicken eggs. So companies have to start making it really early. And by the time it's ready, the flu could have mutated. MRNA could make that process faster and more flexible. But on Tuesday, the FDA said it would not review Moderna's application, effectively rejecting it. It said the agency isn't satisfied with a Moder study comparing its experimental MRNA flu vaccine to a standard dose flu vaccine already on the market. A high potency vaccine is recommended for people 65 and older. And that's what a statement from the Department of Health and Human Services said the FDA was looking for in that age group. HHS said the FDA had communicated that preference before.

[A]

So how unusual is this for the FDA to decide not to even review a new vaccine?

[H]

So Chu told me it's unusual to hear from the FDA that a study isn't acceptable so late in the process because companies are talking with the agency before a study even begins to make sure it's okay but she also told me she was surprised Moderna filed the application. That's because the Trump administration had already been signaling that it wasn't friendly toward MRNA vaccines. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Announced in August that he was cutting a half billion dollars in funding for MRNA vaccine research. He also fired members of an influential vaccine advisory committee that included Chu. And then the new hand picked committee recommended making the COVID shots less routine. I should add that the government also reduced the number of vaccines recommended for children beyond just Covid.

[A]

What does Moderna say about what happened?

[H]

It says the rejection doesn't line up with what the FDA was saying before and that the agency okayed this trial design 18 months ago. And by the way, Moderna says it cost a lot of money to do this research, more than a billion dollars. All making that kind of investment are looking for regulatory consistency. Dr. Lindsey McNair is a consultant at Equipoise and advises companies on clinical trials. She says this isn't the first time in recent months the FDA has done this. And the biotech community is concerned.

[E]

Companies simply cannot afford to conduct clinical trials. And then when they try to submit.

[G]

Them to the regulator, have the regulator.

[E]

Say, well, changed our mind, we're not.

[G]

Going to accept your clinical trial.

[A]

So what does this mean for the big picture in terms of flu vaccines but also companies developing other kinds of vaccines?

[H]

Yeah, so I'm told that when it comes to MRNA vaccines, that work is moving forward, but in other countries. So it's really the United States that could be at a disadvantage here. There's a lot of risk involved in developing a new vaccine. Risk the company will do the study and it won't work or there won't be a market for it and risk that the regulatory agency won't approve it. Those first two are kind of built into the calculus of being a pharmaceutical company. But regulatory risk isn't as much. Historically, in the US The FDA has been pretty consistent. The FDA saying no to a study design it had previously agreed to is risk that's harder to navigate and it could lead companies to think twice.

[A]

That was NPR pharmaceuticals correspondent Sidney Lupkin. Thank you, Sidney.

[H]

You bet.

[B]

Well, Aisha, looks like even gods can fall.

[A]

That's right, Scott. And anyone watching U.S. olympic figure skater Ilya Malinin compete in the men's gold event yesterday saw happen in real time more than once.

[B]

He was widely expected to win gold in the event. Turned out it didn't even meddle. So what went wrong? NPR's Rachel Treisman was watching from the Milano Ice skating arena. Rachel, thanks for being with us.

[G]

Thanks for having me.

[B]

He is a global phenomenon. Just 21, hadn't lost a major competition since 2023. What was the mood like when he took the ice?

[G]

I'll try to paint a picture. So Malinin was the very last skater of the entire night. And there was just this sense in the room that he would be the grand finale. He got the loudest applause of anyone just by skating out to do his warmups. All eyes were on him. The stands were super packed. There were Olympic greats in the room like Nathan Chen and Simone Biles. And the question people around me were asking wasn't whether Malinin would win, but how would he do it. How many quad jumps would he do? And of course, would he attempt and land the quad axle, which would be the first on Olympic ice?

[B]

When did it all start going wrong?

[G]

Pretty much immediately. Malinin's second planned jump out of seven was the quad axel. But he downgraded it mid air to just a single axel and it got harder to watch from there. He bailed on a couple other jumps and fully fell twice. One of the jumps he did manage to land was a backflip. But of course that doesn't get you any points. Just a lot of love from the crowd.

[B]

And what was the reaction of the crowd?

[G]

Well, the crowd started off so energized for his performance. And once he got started, it just totally felt like the wind had been knocked out of everyone. Some people around me had their phones out to film what was supposed to be this historic jump and then pretty quickly put their phones away. I feel like it took a moment for people to realize what they were seeing. And then when they did, the crowd suddenly got loud again, as if people in the stands were trying to boost Malin up with their own energy, their own nervous energy in particular. But it didn't work. And at the end of the 4min, Malinin just looked anguished as he walked off the ice.

[B]

And what did this extraordinary young man say about what went wrong?

[G]

Well, a lot of us asked him. So athletes typically talk to the press right after they skate. And just a few minutes later, I was standing in this crush of journalists, all eager to hear from him. And Malinin clearly hadn't had a second to process what had just happened. He was clearly still trying to understand. But he did blame the pressure he'd been under as the heavy favorite. And he said a lot of negative thoughts came from flooding in as soon as he hit his starting pose.

[B]

We should ask who won.

[G]

So two Japanese skaters ended up on the podium. Yuma Kageyama repeated his silver from 2022 and Shun Sato won bronze. But the real shocker was the first place finisher, Mikhail Shaidorov of Kazakhstan. He wasn't expected to medal at all, though he was clearly a fan favorite. He landed a really clean skate with five quad jumps that put him in first place place. There were still a handful of top ranked skaters to follow him, including Malinin. So I don't think Shaidorov was expecting to stay on the top of the scoreboard. But all of the skaters after him fell. So we could see him watching in real time as he processed that he had won bronze, then silver and then somehow gold. And after Malinin got his score, he walked over to hug Shydorov, who was just standing there in total shock with his hands on his face.

[B]

Medals for women's figure skating and pairs figure skating are still ahead. More competitions this week, but this was Ilya Malin's last chance at a medal this year, wasn't it?

[G]

That's right. And it's important to note he will still leave these Olympics with a gold medal from last weekend's team event, which, I mean, ironically, his free skate helped the US Win, but yeah, yesterday was his last chance at an individual medal. We may see him skate again at an exhibition event next weekend, but we'll have to see him in a future Olympic cycle if he wants to earn his individual medal.

[B]

NPR's Rachel Treisman in Milan. Rachel, thanks so much for being with us.

[G]

Of course. Thank you.

[B]

And Rachel is writing a daily newsletter about what it's like to be at the Games in person. It's called Rachel Goes to the Games. You can subscribe to [e-mail] wintergames and you can check out up first winter games, a new video podcast from the team that brings you up first. Find it every [e-mail] NPR and that's up first for Saturday, February 14th, 2026. I'm Scott Simon.

[A]

And I'm Ayesha Rascoe.

[B]

Elena Twerich produced today's podcast with help from Dave Misch and Jordan Marie Smith.

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[A]

Our senior supervising editor is Shannon Rhodes. Evie Stone is our executive producer and Jim Cain is our deputy managing editor.

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Tomorrow on the Sunday story, in 2024, a woman took the stand in an unprecedented mass rape trial in France. Among the over 50 perpetrators was her husband. Now Gisele Pellico has written a memoir of sir titled A Hymn to Life. Shame has to change sides.

[A]

Our colleague Michelle Martin interviewed Gisele Pellico about the shocking case, her decision to hold an open trial, and so much more.

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